Matt Kenseth suspended 2 races for crashing Joey Logano
Matt Kenseth has been suspended two races for intentionally crashing Joey Logano at Martinsville.
“Based upon our extensive review, we have concluded that [Kenseth], who is no longer in the Chase, intentionally wrecked [Logano], a Chase-eligible competitor who was leading the race at the time,”NASCAR vice president Steve O’Donnell said in a statement. “[Kenseth] was nine laps down, and eliminated [Logano’s] opportunity to continue to compete in the race.
“Additionally, we factored aspects of safety into our decision, and also the fact that the new Chase elimination format puts a premium on each and every race. These actions have no place in NASCAR.”
Kenseth’s actions were retribution for contact with Logano at Kansas Speedway. Kenseth went spinning off Logano’s bumper with five laps to go as the two were battling for the lead. Kenseth subsequently missed the third round of the Chase at Talladega the next week as Logano advanced thanks to wins at Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega.
Kenseth wrecked Logano on Lap 454 at Martinsville on Sunday. Kenseth did so after his car was severely wounded in an accident with Logano’s teammate, Brad Keselowski. Logano ended up finishing 37th Sunday and is eighth out of the eight remaining drivers in the Chase.
Drivers have been penalized for crashing others intentionally before, but not for multiple races. Kyle Busch, Kenseth’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, was suspended for a race in 2011 after he crashed Ron Hornaday under caution in a Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.
JGR said Kenseth would appeal the suspension on the grounds that it’s inconsistent. Expect the team to cite Busch’s suspension heavily in that appeal.
The 2003 Sprint Cup Series champion will miss races at Texas and Phoenix International Raceway if his suspension is upheld upon appeal. NASCAR will likely use an expedited appeals process to ensure a final decision before Sunday’s race at Texas.
Erik Jones will likely replace Kenseth during his suspension. The JGR development driver has subbed for Denny Hamlin and Busch already this season.
Additionally, NASCAR announced that Danica Patrick had been penalized 25 points and fined for running into David Gilliland on purpose under caution at Martinsville.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
